twelveOeight: How To Make A Fall Table Centerpiece

I love the Fall, and decorating this time of year is one of my favorite things to do. As I sweep the porch, and hang up my autumn wreaths I like to not only decorate the outdoor areas, but bring some of the beautiful colors from nature into my home.

After the garlands are hung and fall spice-scented fragrances fill the air, I like to fill my home with the people I love, and share a warm meal after a day spent together carving pumpkins or baking together. A lovely centerpiece for the middle of your dining room table, buffet, or kitchen island does not need to break your decorating budget. And it also does not require hard-to-find components.

I have to share a little secret with you, I am dreaming of a new dining room set this season. I am working on the table, but need the chairs to go with it. So far, I have found a few beautiful ideas and am leaning towards a rich, dark brown or black dining room chair. I think this new centerpiece I made will go perfectly with the direction our room is taking. Let's get crafty!

What you need:

Plastic or ceramic garden urn.
Candle holder or small candelabra.
Spray paint: I used a satin finish black spray paint for the urn, and antique white spray paint for the candle holder.
A strip or burlap or fabric to tie about the urn, about 1-1 1/2 yards long, depending on the size of urn used.
Dried moss, and floral picks from the craft store. I used chartreuse moss, little hydrangeas and small green apples.
Fine grit sandpaper, scissors, hot glue, antique white acrylic paint (to age the urn) and a small foam brush.

Directions:

I began by using two good coats of black satin finish spray paint on my urn. While it was drying I applied two coats of antique white spray paint to the candeholder, and allowed both to dry well.
I frayed the edges a bit on my strip of burlap and set it aside.
Using a dry foam brush, and dabbing it in a bit of antique white acrylic paint, I lightly brushed it over the edges of the dry urn. I like to use this reverse-distressing technique when I do not have a light surface underneath to bring forward with sanding.
I used a piece of sandpaper to gently distress the edges of the dry candle holder, filled it with candles, and set it inside the urn.
I used a bag of moss around the base of the candle holder, then tucked in my floral picks around the edges.
Using a dab of hot glue on the back of the urn I glued the center of the burlap strip in place, then brought the ends around the front, tied and trimmed them so they were just the right length.

I used a bamboo table runner under the centerpiece, but I have my eye on a couple beautiful fall table runners too. A girl cannot just have a couple table runners. That would be like having a couple purses or a couple pairs of earrings, impossible.

Thank you so much for getting crafty with me today! This little centerpiece was so much fun to make and I was able to use it for the first time last night for a dinner party. I am already thinking about how easy it would be to change the flowers and candles and have a centerpiece for the winter months as well. I will let you know if she undergoes a mid-November makeover. Until next time, blessings to you and your family and happy creating!

xoxo, Tanya

I like to party at:

Friday